Sterile package and method

Claim 1

A PACKAGE COMPRISING A SEALED POUCH TYPE CONTAINER, AND A PRODUCT TO BE STERILIZED RETAINED IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER; SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING OPPOSITE WALLS ARRANGED IN GENERALLY FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP, AT LEAST THE INNER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID WALLS COMPRISING A THERMOPLASTIC HEAT SEALABLE MATERIAL WHICH IS IMPERVIOUS TO THE PASSAGE OF FLUID AND GASES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS; EACH MARGIN OF ONE OF SAID OPPOSITE WALLS BEING CONNECTED WITH A CORRESPONDING MARGIN OF THE OTHER OF SAID OPPOSITE WALLS WHEREBY ALL MARGINS OF SAID CONTAINER ARE CLOSED TO RETAIN SAID PRODUCT THEREIN; AT LEAST TWO OF SAID CLOSED CONTAINER MARGINS COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY BROAD FLAT CONTINUOUS FIN TYPE SEAMS, SAID TWO SEAMS DEFINING GENERALLY OPPOSITE MARGINS OF SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS BEING DEFINED BY CORRESPONDING FACING AND CONTACTING MARGINAL AREAS OF SAID OPPOSITE WALLS WHICH HAVE THEIR INNER FLUID AND GAS IMPERVIOUS SURFACES HEAT SEALED TOGETHER UNITERRUPTEDLY BETWEEN OPPOSITE SPACED APART EDGES DEFINING OPPOSITE BORDERS OF SAID AREAS, SUCH HEAT SEALING EXTENDING OVER THE FULL EXTENT OF CONTACT OF SAID AREAS BETWEEN SAID BORDERS SO THAT A GENERALLY BROAD SOLID AND CONTINUOUS HEAT SEALED SEAM FREE OF UNSEALED AREAS IS DEFINED BETWEEN SAID BORDERS; AND A BREATHING WICK OF FIBROUS MATERIAL WHICH IS PERVIOUS TO GASES AND IMPERVIOUS TO BACTERIA EXTENDING COMPLETELY ACROSS SAID CONTAINER BETWEEN AND THROUGH EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS ALONG ANOTHER MARGIN OF SAID CONTAINER, OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID WICK EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER BETWEEN THE CONTINUOUSLY HEAT SEALED INNER SURFACES WHICH DEFINE SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER SO THAT THE OPPOSITE OUTER ENDS OF SAID WICK ARE EXPOSED TO THE ATMOSPHERE SURROUNDING SAID CONTAINER; THE IMPERVIOUS HEAT SEALED MATERIAL OF SAID WALL INNER SURFACES IN SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS BEING IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH AND SURROUNDING SAID WICK END PORTIONS ABOUT THEIR ENTIRE PERIPHERIES IN SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS SO THAT SAID WICK IS SECURELY BONDED BETWEEN SAID WALL INNER SURFACES IN SAID OPPOSITE SEAMS AND PROVIDES THE ONLY GAS PASSAGE THERETHROUGH; EACH OF SAID CLOSED CONTAINER MARGINS BEING FLUID AND GAS IMPERVIOUS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS WITH SAID WICK PROVIDING THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE PASSAGE FOR GASES BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER WHEREBY CONTAMINATED AIR TRAPPED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER DURING SEALING THEREOF IS WITHDRAWABLE FROM SAID CONTAINER SOLELY THROUGH SAID WICK, AND WHEREBY A GASEOUS STERILIZING MEDIUM IS SUBSTITUTABLE FOR SUCH WITHDRAWN AIR SOLELY THROUGH SAID WICK INTO CONTACT WITH SAID PRODUCT IN SAID CONTAINER INTERIOR, SO THAT SAID PRODUCT MAY BE STERILIZED AFTER THE SAME HAS BEEN SEALED IN SAID CONTAINER; SAID WICK AFTER PRODUCT STERILIZATION SERVING AS A BACTERIA FILTER TO PRECLUDE CONTAMINATION OF SAID PRODUCT SO LONG AS SAID CONTAINER WALLS REMAIN INTACT AND SEALED TOGETHER ALONG SAID SEAMS; SAID WICK BEING GRASPABLE FOR TEARING SAID CONTAINER ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID ANOTHER MARGIN THEREOF FOR EFFECTING EASY OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER TO GAIN ACCESS TO SAID PRODUCT AFTER STERILIZATION THEREOF.